Monthly Archives: December 2011

To enable more participants from across the country, the Central Working Committee has announced a seven-day extension to the deadline for registration for the Nigeria Symposium on Governance for Young & Emerging Leaders, which is courtesy of The Future Awards. Successful nominees will be contacted no later than 48 hours after the deadline.

The event holds on 11 and 12 January 2012 at the Muson Centre in Lagos. The Headline Speaker is Obiageli Ezekwesili, the World Bank Vice-President for Africa. She will be joined by Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese of the Catholic Church alongside others including Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Minister of Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

“We are excited by the volume of nominations received over the past 14 days, but are working towards a wider spread from across the country especially since our speakers are drawn from across the 6 geo-political zones,” said Adebola Williams,director with The Future Project. “We are also excited to announce that the very admired and impressive Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has accepted to be Lead-In Speaker at the Symposium – joining the stellar list of young and older speakers. This is truly history in the making!”

The event is presented by The Future Project in association with EnoughisEnough Nigeria and the International Republican Institute. Partners include the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the Nigeria Leadership Initiative, LEAP Africa and Governance 500. Media Partners are Africa Magic, Channels TV, Business Eye, BellaNaija.com and CP-Africa.com. The Official Media Partner is Y! (www.ynaija.com).

The Full List of Panelists, Moderators, Lead-In Speakers and Hosts will be unveiled on December 27. The Application Form and more information about the Symposium and The Future Project are available on http://www.thefuturenigeria.com. Follow @TFProject on Twitter or The Future Project, Nigeria on Facebook.

There will be no further extension for registrations after the December 30 deadline.

The past one year has been so wonderful; and this feat would not have been possible without your unflinching support!

Thank you very much and let’s do it again in 2012!

The CrowdOutAIDS online and offline forums are coming to an end; we are making preparations for the next phases to transform discussions into an actionable strategy. We are analyzing all the fantastic input and will turn this into a survey which will be sent back to participants to validate the findings of the forums.

In the final step of CrowdOutAIDS, an independent drafting committee will be selected to collaboratively author the outcome document of the process via online tools and live drafting sessions.

The drafting committee will be made up of 7 “editors.” The purpose of the drafting committee is to objectively reflect on the various outputs from the CrowdOutAIDS process and put together a clear, concise, actionable plan together with key definitions and principles that UNAIDS should adhere to when working with young people.

We are now calling for applicants to be part of this exciting drafting committee – interested? Keep reading!

Scope of work

Adhere to the principles of the CrowdOutAIDS process including transparency, openness, inclusiveness and youth-led.

Read all background materials and analysis of input carefully, and participate in briefing calls with the CrowdOutAIDS team.

Objectively represent the outputs of the CrowdOutAIDS process.

Take the lead in drafting at least one section of the CrowdOutAIDS outcome document, and provide constructive feedback to other sections.

Integrate comments via the chat function in the online drafting application from the CrowdOutAIDS participants.

Post each final section of the CrowdOutAIDS outcome document to one of the CrowdOutAIDS online forums for validation. For some forums this will require translation of the section into the forum language and translation of comments to English.

Synthesize and incorporate comments from the online forums into the English collaborative document.

Mobilize young people in your networks to take part in the CrowdOutAIDS process.

Time commitment

Writing process will take place during the last two weeks of January, from 20-40 hours each of the two weeks.

Available for several live drafting sessions, and reporting on the work of the drafting committee to the CrowdOutAIDS online forums, including some translation.

Inclusion criteria

Active involvement in CrowdOutAIDS

Under 30 years of age

Fluent English speaker and writer, with at least one of the following languages considered an asset: Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and/or Portuguese.

Proven ability to remain neutral and objective

Previous experience with collaborative document authoring considered an asset

Additional selection principles

Gender balance and equity

Regional balance

Key populations at higher risk and young people living with HIV are strongly encouraged to apply. The selection process will be confidential

Independence

To ensure the independence of the drafting committee, members will work on a voluntary basis with the CrowdOutAIDS participants as their key constituency

Selection process

Send your CV and a motivation letter (of maximum 300 words), in which you answer the following questions:

a) How have you been involved in CrowdOutAIDS so far?
b) Why should you be selected as a Drafting Committee member?
c) In your opinion, why is it important for the drafting committee to remain independent?

Seven online drafting committee members will be selected

The final selection of the drafting committee will be made by the 9th of January 2012 by a selection committee consisting of:

a) One moderator from the online CrowdOutAIDS forums (in consultation with the other moderators)
b) A representative from the External Working Group made up of members of global youth networks working on AIDS.
c) A CrowdOutAIDS project team member (UNAIDS staff)

Send your application before January 2, 2012to NGL@unaids.org. The final selection will be made by January 9, 2012.

The mission of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI) is to support Nigerian youth in implementing projects that have a positive impact on Nigerian society. Former Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, was a champion of civil liberties, democracy and closer ties between the U.S. and Nigeria. The CYFI program invites applications from young Nigerians who are committed to putting the ideals of Walter Carrington into practice. The theme of the 2012 CYFI program is “Youth Engagement.” The CYFI Board of Directors will select fellows who demonstrate the exceptional vision, skills, and experience necessary to implement their own Youth Engagement Projects(YEPs).

Benefits

Implement concrete, youth-oriented solutions to issues that concern you

Access U.S. Government resources and contacts

Catch the attention of American and Nigerian leaders in the public and private sectors

Work alongside talented and motivated peers with diverse backgrounds, but similar visions

Participate in CYFI Alumni Program

Youth Engagement Projects

Teams of 3-5 fellows submit project proposals to the CYFI Board

Projects should be achievable in scope and address a current issue in Nigeria

CYFI Board supports fellows by working to connect them with resources and contacts

Please describe your past participation in a group, organization or project. What was your contribution? (250 words or less):

Please provide a project overview that you would be interested in proposing to team members for the CYFI Youth Engagement project. The project can focus on Healthcare, Education, Governance, or another area of interest. Inspiring and enabling other youth to take action is an important component of the project. Include details such as purpose, expected results, possible challenges, target audience and outside resources that you would use. For outside resources, please focus on business and non-governmental organization sources that can provide in-kind support. Please keep in mind that we are using this question to help us better understand your interests and vision. Each project team, made up of multiple fellows, will decide on one project. It is therefore possible that only elements of the project you propose will make it to the implementation stage (500 words or less)

LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) is a non-profit organisation that was created in the wake of the 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development. LEAD has got 13 Member Programmes in most regions around the world, including LEAD Francophone Africa, which is hosted by ENDA (Environment and Development in the Third-World). LEAD Africa (joint programme of the three African Member Programmes: LEAD Francophone Africa, LEAD Anglophone West Africa; and LEAD Southern and Eastern Africa) aims to promote a leadership for environment and sustainable development, through high-level training activities in Africa.

LEAD Africa, LEAD International and the Shell Foundation have entered into a partnership in order to set up and implement the LEAD Africa Fellowship Programme which aims to train, each year, close to 500 African leaders by 2015. For 2012, candidates will be selected in Chad, Malawi, Senegal and The Gambia.

TARGETS

The programme targets mid-career professionals (25 to 43 years) from Francophone or Anglophone African countries and living in Chad, Malawi, Senegal and The Gambia. They should hold a university degree with 2 years’ working experience, or 5 for non-University graduates and be working in the private (banks, industry, etc) or public (Civil and related services) sectors, civil society (NGOs, local authorities, socio-professional organisations etc), universities and research centres; intergovernmental bodies, and the media. They should furthermore have written and oral English language skills which allow them to fully participate in sessions, a good knowledge of social media, and a capacity to work with a multidisciplinary and multicultural team. They should be ready to help promote sustainable development within young Leaders’ associations and last and just as important, have a leadership potential and aspire to become an agent of change.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN

LEAD Africa gives you the opportunity to enhance your capacities and knowledge in terms of leadership and sustainable development, and of analysing and sorting out complex issues connected to the choice of environment and development alternatives. You will have the opportunity to build your skills around negotiation, communication, networking, social entrepreneurship and ethics to mention a few. Also important is the fact that you will have the chance to join a large international network of fellow young leaders.

Training will take place in situ (2 national sessions and one pan-African session of one week each, or 18 days) and by virtual means (online distance learning, teleconferencing, forums, etc.).The pan-African Session where associates are graduating will be held in Malawi for 2012.

An optional one week International Session follows the Pan African session is organized each year by LEAD International. This session is not included in the LAFP fees and will be charged separately.

The application form, which should be completed online, can be found on the website: www.leadinafrica.org, along with further details about the programme and testimonials.

The list of required documents (CV, Letter of agreement of the Employer, Motivation letter, copies of diploma and 3 letters of Reference) is also available online. The documents should be scanned, uploaded and sent to cohortrecruitment@leadinafrica.org

Grants covering a percentage of the total training costs will be available for the 40best candidates (Senegal) and 20 best candidates (The Gambia). The remainder will paid by personal means or by the candidate’s institution.

Female candidates and professionals from the private sector are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications for Senegal and The Gambia should be submitted no later than January 16 2012 at midnight.

For more than 38 years, the National Youth Service Corps has deployed more than One million youth graduates across Nigeria in an effort to promote National integration, cross culture, mutual understanding and service amongst Nigerian youth.

Since inception, the decree setting up the National Youth Service Corps has only once been modified through decree 51 of June 1993.

Nigeria’s current challenges of unemployment, poverty, infrastructural challenges and recent violence in parts of Nigeria has made it important to embark on a reform of the NYSC scheme to reposition it to effectively respond to these challenges and contribute to Nation building.

The NYSC reforms and Advocacy is embarking on a massive awareness, consultation, lobby and advocacy to ensure that a reform of the NYSC process is undertaken by Government and that such reforms benefit the young people that will take part in the scheme.

To this end, The AfterSchool Peer Mentoring Project in Collaboration with Digital Peers International with support from the World Bank is organizing a physical Consultative Forum on the Reforms of The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The objective of this project is to engage young people in the process of redefining the NYSC scheme in Nigeria towards repositioning it to act as a platform for capacity building, National integration and service to the Nation.

A non-profit leadership and mentoring Foundation based in Calabar, Cross River State requires the services of a motivated, experienced and result-driven professional for the position highlighted below:

Job Title: Executive Director

Job Description:

To direct and coordinate all the activities in other to ensure that the Foundation achieves its objectives and goals, both in the short and long term; and to ensure that the Foundation remains true to its vision and mission.

Educational and Work Requirements:

i. A Degree in ANY field or discipline and preferably with a Social Science or Non-profit background

ii. Preference will be given to those who hold a Master’s Degree in any Developmental studies

iii. At least 5years’ professional work experience in a non-profit, consultancy or as a Programmes Manager, Senior Programmes Officer or Executive Director

iv. Past experience in project management especially in the non-profit sector would be an advantage and applicant should have at least executed/managed one major non-profit initiative from the inception through execution and completion

v. Strong analytical skills and a proven track record of leadership and coordinating teams

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve this mission, the Foundations seek to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, the Open Society Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, we build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. The Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros established the Open Society Foundations, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. Our activities have grown to encompass the United States and more than 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Each Foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

The Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) is an advocacy and grant making foundation that forms part of the global Open Society Foundations Network. OSIWA is based in Dakar, Senegal and works to support the creation of open societies in West Africa marked by functioning democracy, good governance, the rule of law, basic freedoms, and widespread civic participation. It has offices in Abuja, Monrovia, Freetown and Conakry.

The Open Society Youth Initiative (OSYI) supports young people in their efforts to be agents of positive change and advocates for the full and effective participation of all young people in the political, social and cultural life of their communities. The Youth Initiative operates globally to identify opportunities and threats to open society values that are particularly relevant to young people making the transition from childhood to adulthood. While primarily focused on empowering youth directly through its operating and grant-making programs, the Youth Initiative is also exploring how it might develop a role in advocating for the adoption of sound national and international youth policies on behalf of youth.

The Youth Initiative grew out of the OSF Network Debate Program (NDP), which operates in over 40 countries. To ensure the continued success of the Debate Program and support its work in closed societies, OSF has helped establish the International Debate Education Associations, which promotes discussion and dialogue around the world. Both associations work to sustain the network created by OSF. For more information on these organizations, see http://www.idebate.org. In 2011, the Youth Initiative will be launching a Debate and Global Civics Initiative, aimed at ensuring that undergraduates become committed to consider global issues from points of view other than their own and debate the rights and responsibilities they have to others.

While efforts to promote debate continue, the Open Society Youth Initiative also operates more broadly. It encourages members of the network of organizations associated to the Open Society Foundations to include youth as partners in their work and assists them in doing so. It sponsors an annual conference for staff of the Open Society Foundations and young activists to share skills and project ideas. The Open Society Youth Initiative’s Youth Action Fund (YAF) is a small grants program that supports projects proposed by individual young people who are interested in contributing to their communities and engaging their peers on open society issues. It is currently running in the Baltics, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Uganda, Moldova, Thailand and Serbia. For more on the Open Society Youth Initiative, visit http://www.soros.org/youth

The Open Society Foundations Scholarship Programs mobilize students and scholars by providing support for fellowships, scholarships, and related activities that empower individuals throughout the world to improve the social, political, and intellectual environments of their home communities. In summer 2012, the Scholarship Programs will launch the Undergraduate Mobility Initiative within Sub-Saharan Africa to offer short-term scholarships (one semester to one academic year) at 2-3 host universities for up to 20 students annually. This initiative aims to foster intra-continental mobility, strengthen African identity and promote respect for diversity among young generations. This Initiative is administered by a Program Director out of New York

OSIWA and the Open Society Youth Initiative seeks a dynamic individual as a Program Officer based in Dakar, Senegal to help it expand its youth programme in West Africa and ensure that issues relating to youth are integrated in all the programs of OSIWA. Additionally, the Program Officer will dedicate a percentage of his/ her time working in partnership with the NY Program Director to help coordinate Scholarship Programs’ Undergraduate Mobility Initiative.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Support:

 Work closely with OSIWA thematic and country programs and the Youth Initiative to develop and implement regional youth strategy and implement the same;

 Support the work of the Open Society Scholarships and Higher Education Support programs, and other programs as needed;

 Assist with the logistics and preparation of presentations for conferences and meetings, particularly those that gather fellows of the Undergraduate Mobility Initiative;

 Initiate and develop publications by OSIWA and YI;

 Provide support for dissemination of Program activities and outcomes;

 Provide regular updates on program implementation for inclusion on the OSIWA and YI web sites;

 Integrate the OSIWA and OSF organizational values into the performance of duties and tasks on a daily basis and participate in in-house working groups designed to uphold the values and foster healthy inter-office communication;

Grants Management:

 Perform site visits, monitor and evaluate grantee activities;

 Work closely with OSIWA’s grants management and financial Units;

Other:

 As assigned by the OSIWA Executive Director and Director Youth Initiative.

Qualifications and Experience:

 Graduate degree in relevant field;

 Minimum of five years relevant work experience in program development and management;

 Knowledge of the major discourses in Africa, especially the West African sub-region;

 Excellent written and oral French and English required;

 Exceptional analytic capacity; Flexibility and willingness to work as a team member and independently, with a high level of self-motivation;

 Ability to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced working environment;

 Ability to maintain strict confidentiality;

 Attentiveness to detail and ability to work well under pressure;

 Ability to travel locally and internationally;

 Computer skills including the ability to operate spreadsheets and word processing programs at a highly proficient level;